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Yes / Governments in Australia place great emphasis on the development and expansion of their rail networks to improve productivity and service the increasing needs and demands from businesses and commuters. A case study approach is used to analyze the cost performance of 16 rail projects constructed by a contractor between 2011 and 2014, which ranged from AU$3.4 to AU$353 million. Findings indicate that scope changes during construction were the key contributors that lead to the amendment of each project’s original contractual value. As a result, there is a need for public and private sector asset owners to establish a cost contingency using a probabilistic rather than a deterministic approach to accommodate the potential for scope changes during construction. To improve cost certainty during the construction of rail projects, it is suggested that use of collaborative forms of procurement juxtaposed with the use of Building Information Modelling and Systems Information Modelling are implemented. The utilization of such technological and process innovations can provide public and private sector asset owners charged with delivering and maintaining their rail networks with confidence projects can be delivered within budget and are resilient to unexpected events and adaptable to changing needs, uses or capacities. / The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Australian Research Council (DP160102882).

Yes / The demand for healthcare services internationally continues to increase, exacerbated by patient backlogs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties in recruiting and retaining healthcare staff. These difficulties have led to increased interest in workforce redesign, and the upskilling of existing staff in all areas of healthcare, including within the Allied Health Professions (AHP). Clinical support staff are a key component of workforce redesign, yet little has been documented on the utilization of this workforce across the wide range of professions that collectively form the AHP workforce. Existing research is also unclear due to the variety of titles used to describe them (eg, allied health assistants, therapy assistants, etc). This study aimed to review how Support Workers and Assistant Practitioners (SWAPs) are utilized within the AHP professions. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL complete, Scopus, and Google Scholar) were searched to find English Language primary research articles that explored the deployment of clinical support staff within Allied Health. Following the scoping review methodology, data from each study were analyzed in terms of design, key findings, and implications. A quality assessment was also completed. Thirty-nine articles met the eligibility criteria. Studies were undertaken in Australia, UK, and USA, and covered a range of AHPs and methodological approaches. Most articles employed qualitative methods, with highly variable research quality identified. Key findings were that cost-effectiveness of this workforce has not been formally evaluated in any setting or AHP discipline, and that support workers are a largely underutilized staff group potentially due to inconsistencies in their deployment and scope of practice, and the lack of a clear career pathway. Rigorous, quantitative, and mixed methods research into the deployment and impact of this staff group is needed in order to gain a clearer understanding of how they are optimally utilized across the different AHP disciplines. / The study was funded by the NIHR Health Services and Delivery Research programme (I.D. NIHR133813)

Yes / Introduction Over the last 2 decades the assistant radiographer practitioner (ARP) role has been introduced into NHS diagnostic imaging departments as a strategy to expand the workforce and create capacity. This skill mix initiative has not been implemented in a standardised way and there is limited knowledge of the current role scope within general radiography (X-Ray). Method An electronic survey of ARPs working within UK diagnostic imaging departments was conducted. Both open and closed questions sought information regarding basic demographic data (age category; gender; geographic region), scope of practice (patient groups; anatomical regions; imaging outside of the diagnostic imaging department), limitations placed on practice, supervision and additional roles. Results A total of 108 responses, including 13 trainees, were received. Most sites employ three or less ARPs in general radiography (n = 43/66; 65.2%), although 11 sites have five (range 1–15). The majority undertake imaging of both adults and children (n = 85/108; 78.7%), although limitations on age were described. Their scope of practice covers a broad anatomical range and included some non-ambulant patients. The level of supervision varied with some sites empowering ARPs to check the referral prior to examination (n = 25) or images post acquisition (n = 32) (both n = 20/66; χ2 = 16.003; 1df; p = 0.000). Conclusion ARPs are helping to maintain capacity in imaging departments but we suggest there is further scope for expansion. The practice described by the post holders suggests that many are working beyond the scope envisaged by the radiography professional body.

In context of the forthcoming Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, this study examines how scope 3 emissions and the reporting thereof affect the cost of debt. Further, it investigates how scope 1 emissions affect the cost of debt and how the two scopes differ in materiality. As a theoretical foundation, this thesis uses previous research on environmental risk management, carbon risk premium, scope 3 emissions and cost of capital. By collecting a sample of 1710 firm-year observations for publicly listed European companies during the period 2019-2022, this quantitative study utilizes fixed effect regression models to find the relationship between scope 3 emission and cost of debt. No evidence of a relationship between scope 3 emissions and cost of debt is found. When looking at scope 1 emissions, the results show that companies with lower scope 1 emissions are rewarded by creditors with a reduced cost of debt. Regarding reporting of scope 3 emissions, we find no evidence suggesting that scope 3 disclosure lowers the cost of debt.

Transportinfrastruktursystem spelar en viktig roll i stadsutvecklingen. Nyttjandet av underjordiska utrymmen för transportsystem ökar alltmer och används som potentiella lösningar för att lösa urbaniseringsproblem. För att möta den snabba befolkningstillväxt som Stockholm står inför initierade regeringen Stockholmsöverenskommelsen 2013 som innebar en omfattande utbyggnad av tunnelbanenätet samt en ökad bostadsbebyggelse. Tunnelbaneutbyggnaden är i Sverige den första att genomföras på trettio år och projektet har i det tidiga skedet redan ändrats i omfattning i två etapper.  Syftet med studien är att bidra till en ökad förståelse inom området inför framtida projekt av samma karaktär. Målsättningen är att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar projektets benägenhet att ändras och hur dessa faktorer i sin tur påverkar projektledarens möjligheter att leda projektet. Problemet avgränsas till ett beställarperspektiv i tidiga skeden och studeras i en svensk kontext.  Forskningen har genomförts som en kvalitativ fallstudie. Fallstudien består av dels en intervjustudie dels en dokumentstudie. Det studerade fallet representerar projekt Akalla-Barkarby som är ett av de delprojekt som ingår i Stockholmsöverenskommelsen.  Studien har identifierat ett antal faktorer som antas påverka projektomfattningen till en större benägenhet att ändras. Dessa faktorer är relaterade till dels de förutsättningar som låg till grund för projektet i och med investeringsbeslutet dels komplexiteten i projektsystemet. Dessa faktorer skapar osäkerheter och begränsar projektledarens möjligheter att leda projektet. / Transportation infrastructure systems play an important role in urban development. The use of underground spaces for transport systems is increasing and is viewed as a potential solution to solve urbanization problems. To meet the rapid population growth that Stockholm is facing, the government initiated the Stockholm Agreement in 2013, which entailed an extensive expansion of the metro system and an increased housing development. The metro system expansion in Sweden is the first to be completed in thirty years and the project has in the early stages already changed in scope twice.  The purpose of the study is to contribute to an increased understanding in the field for future projects of the same nature. The aim is to investigate the factors that affect the project's propensity to change and how these factors in turn affect the project manager's opportunities to lead the project. The problem is limited to a Client perspective in the early stages and is studied in a Swedish context. The research has been carried out as a qualitative case study. The case study consists partly of an interview study and partly of a document study. The case represents the Akalla - Barkarby project, which is one of the sub-projects included in the Stockholm Agreement.  The study has identified several factors that are assumed to influence the project scope to a greater tendency to change. These factors are related partly to the preconditions of the project based in the investment decision and partly to the complexity of the project system. These factors create uncertainties and limit the project manager's opportunities to lead the project.

La ineficiente gestión del alcance en proyecto de edificaciones en el Lima genera cambios durante la etapa de ejecución, estos cambios de alcance se convierten en adicionales que causan sobrecostos y afectan al presupuesto contractual. A fin de mitigar los cambios en edificaciones, se formula un procedimiento para optimizar la gestión del alcance. La propuesta consta de 6 procesos para gestionar el alcance: Estudio de condiciones de sitio y de Stakeholders, Definición de Alcance, Desarrollo de Diseño, Validación del Alcance, Control de OCA’s y Análisis de OCA’s; los cuales están basados en distintas fuentes bibliográficas y de información de proyectos locales. El producto final que validará la investigación se obtendrá con el procedimiento propuesto retroalimentado en el resultado del análisis de los adicionales aprobados de 3 proyectos de edificación. Dicho análisis consiste en la clasificación de los adicionales en distintos tipos de causantes que serán agrupados, comparados y evaluados de acuerdo a los procesos de gestión de alcance y a las especialidades involucradas, con el objetivo de identificar cuál de estas requieran establecer medidas de mejora. / An inefficient Scope Management in building projects in Lima may generate changes during the execution phase, those Scope changes can become into additional works that causes overcost and variations to the contractual budget. In order to reduce changes in building projects, it has been formulated a procedure to improve the Scope Management and it is composed by 6 processes: Site conditions and Stakeholders Study, Scope definition, Design development, Scope validation, Change orders control and Change orders Analysis; all the processes are based on various bibliographical sources and information of local’s Projects. The final product which will validate the investigation is a feedback of the proposed procedure with the results of the analysis of approved scope changes coming from the building projects studied. This analysis consists of the classification of scope changes according their causes which have been grouped, compared and evaluated in accordance with the Scope management processes and the specialties involved, aiming to identify those that require setting improvement measures. / Tesis

An examination of leadership and ethics literature demonstrates that, given the theoretical and practical links between the two subjects, they should also be linked within the context of adult post-secondary education. However, very little documented information exists with regard to the ways in which such integration of subject areas is achieved, and there is scant documentation indicating the kinds of pedagogical approaches that are employed for such a purpose. This study examined how the subject areas of leadership and ethics are conceptualized and integrated within the context of undergraduate credit courses at the University of Saskatchewan. The methods used to collect original data for this study were content analysis and qualitative interviews. The data collected in this study demonstrated that the integration of leadership and ethics subject areas is occurring, both implicitly and explicitly, in a variety of undergraduate courses offered through professional colleges at the University of Saskatchewan. The subjects of leadership and ethics are conceptualized in many different ways by course instructors; however, instructors perceive links between the two subject areas and expect their students to demonstrate an understanding of those links. The findings of this study will serve as a program planning resource for instructors who practice, or who wish to practice, the integration of leadership and ethics subject areas in their post-secondary classroom settings. In addition, the researcher concluded with some broad-based recommendations for further study, and suggestions regarding approaches to integration of leadership and ethics education at the University of Saskatchewan.

An examination of leadership and ethics literature demonstrates that, given the theoretical and practical links between the two subjects, they should also be linked within the context of adult post-secondary education. However, very little documented information exists with regard to the ways in which such integration of subject areas is achieved, and there is scant documentation indicating the kinds of pedagogical approaches that are employed for such a purpose. This study examined how the subject areas of leadership and ethics are conceptualized and integrated within the context of undergraduate credit courses at the University of Saskatchewan. The methods used to collect original data for this study were content analysis and qualitative interviews. The data collected in this study demonstrated that the integration of leadership and ethics subject areas is occurring, both implicitly and explicitly, in a variety of undergraduate courses offered through professional colleges at the University of Saskatchewan. The subjects of leadership and ethics are conceptualized in many different ways by course instructors; however, instructors perceive links between the two subject areas and expect their students to demonstrate an understanding of those links. The findings of this study will serve as a program planning resource for instructors who practice, or who wish to practice, the integration of leadership and ethics subject areas in their post-secondary classroom settings. In addition, the researcher concluded with some broad-based recommendations for further study, and suggestions regarding approaches to integration of leadership and ethics education at the University of Saskatchewan.

Der Einfluss sogenannter nutzergenerierter Inhalte im Web hat in den letzten Jahren stetig zugenommen. Auf Plattformen wie Blogs, sozialen Netzwerken oder Medienportalen werden durch Anwender kontinuierlich Textnachrichten, Bilder oder Videos publiziert. Auch Inhalte, die aktuelle gesellschaftliche Ereignisse, wie beispielsweise den Euromaidan in Kiew dokumentieren, werden durch diese Plattformen verbreitet. Nutzergenerierte Inhalte bieten folglich das Potential, zusätzliche Hintergrundinformationen über Ereignisse direkt vom Ort des Geschehens zu liefern. Diese Arbeit verfolgt die Vision einer Nachrichtenplattform, die unter Verwendung von Methoden des Information Retrievals und der Informationsextraktion Nachrichtenereignisse erkennt, diese automatisiert mit relevanten nutzergenerierten Inhalten anreichert und dem Leser präsentiert. Zur Suche nutzergenerierter Inhalte kommen in dieser Arbeit maßgeblich geographische Entitäten, also Ortsbezeichnungen zum Einsatz. Für die Extraktion dieser Entitäten aus gegebenen Nachrichtendokumenten stellt die Arbeit verschiedene neue Methoden vor. Die Entitäten werden genutzt, um zielgerichtete Suchanfragen zu erzeugen. Es wird gezeigt, dass sich eine geounterstützte Suche für das Auffinden nutzergenerierter Inhalte besser eignet als eine konventionelle schlüsselwortbasierte Suche.